Electric railway



(No ModeL) J. VAN DBWPOELE. ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

Patented Oct. 2, 1888.

N PETERS, Phoxo-uxlmgrzphar, wnminglan. nc

Unrrnn ASTATES Partnr @mea CHARLES VAN DEPOELE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS..

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,858, dated October 2, 18,'3.

Application filed January 15, 1893.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that l', CHAnLns J. VAN DE- POELE, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Railways; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andveXact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful device in connection with electric railways; and it consists in a mode of conveying the current along such road, insuring a perfect insulation t-he whole length of the road, and also a sure and effective means for conveying the current from the main conductor to the elect-ric motor in the vehicle to be driven.

l The tollowing is a description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings.

Figure l. is an end view of the arrangement ot' parts as applied to the locomotion of vehicles ot' an ordinary surface road, such as the streets in a city or highway. Fig. 2 is an end View of the electrical arrangements on a larger scale than in Fig. l.

A A is a frame or chair, of cast-iron, bolted upon the ties a and intended to hold the other parts in place. B B form the top and sides of the casing, and consist in long sheets ol iron bent in the shape ot' an inverted L, which are securely fastened to the cast-iron frame A A. C C are brackets made of wood and saturated with some good insulating gums or oils. These brackets are fastened at L by means of bolts and nuts, while to their lower ends are fastened the conducting-bars D and E. D D are bars of soft iron, faced with copper strips E. The iron bars and copper strips are so con nected together as to break joints andto allow for expansion and contraction. F is a flexible brush composed ot' a large number of elastic copper strips or wires pressing gentlyT upon the conductor E. G is a guard intended to protect the brush F. S is a spring intended to give a gentle pressure and insure certain contact of the brushes F with conductor E. I

I are two guide-pins fitted in proper sockets,

sidesl of B B.

(No model.)

copper or brass in electrical contact with the brushes F, intended to take the current from the conductor and communicate the same to thev motor of the vehicle. K K are plates ot' insulating material, intended to insulate the plate H from contact with any outside electrical conductor, especially with the sides ot' B B, where the system slidesin. J J are plates of steel surrounding completely the insulating-plates K K, guarding the saine from con= tact with the sides of B B, also intended to strengthen the arrangement and to prevent the wear of its parts coming in contact with the M is atrough in which, in case of rain, the water is caught and ledrout into a sewer, or otherwise let ont through the drain O. N are iron plates placed between the ties, allowing water or other matter to drop in the trough M. O is a drain-pipe intended to let oft' any water that might run into th e trou gh M.

Fig. 3 shows the disposition of the different parts fastened on the ties of the track. As will be seen, there are two brushes, one making contact with the right and the other with the left conductor E E. The guards G G are made of some insulating materialsuch as vulcanized ber or some other suitable material-and are intended to keep the strips F in position, and also to prevent the brushes from coming in contact with anything in their way while traveling. The spring S may be replaced by spiral or other springs to do the same work of pressing the brushes against the conductors E It. The insulatingbrackets are placed at intervals of about two feet from each other, giving perfect stability to the conductor E and keeping it in line. The slit in the casing B B is about three-quarters inch wide, to allow the conductor to move in freely.

Having described the different parts of my invention, I will now explain how the system is to work.

At any point along the track connection can be made from the electric generator to the conductors E E, and a current of suitable strength supplied to the same. If we place, now, on the track a car provided with the sliding conductors No. 1 No. 2-one in contact with the right and the other with the left stationary conductors E E-we have access to the current produced by the distant generator, and by cou- ICO ' case may be.

necting the plates I-I H by suitable means to the electromotor in the car we can make the latter to run either back or forward, as the I make use of two independent conductors and brushes, so as to avoid all danger and loss through Contact with outside matter.

I' consider it entirely impracticable to connect one pole of the generator to the rails and to insulate the other, as in case of sleet and snow, or even mud, on the track the current may be seriously interfered with or altogether fail to pass. In my system of conveying the current neither rain nor snow nor any other obstruction can prevent the current from passing safely to the inside of the car, where itis applied to the motor; nor is there danger in my system of short-circuiting the main current, since the conductors are not exposed nor easily gotten at, at the same time doing away with all danger to life and limb, thus making the scheme a practical one to be applied to the heaviest as well as to the lightest work. In

case yof snow or rain, as will be seen,-the inverted casing will shield the conductors -from the same, and thus prevent any loss of current. In case of a heavy rain-storm, the rain can only penetrate through the small slit in the casing, and what will pass-through can` insuring full benefit of the current-generator, and in this case no trough is needed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a casing for an electric-railway conductor, the combination of the chairs A, ties and inverted- Lshaped pieces B, forming a casing open at top and bottom, and having a slit above for the traveling conductor, with the well M, arranged below the chairs and having outlets for the water, substantially as described.

2. A casing for a conductor for an electrical railway, provided with a slit for the passage of the traveling conductor,I and having depending edges on the sides of said slit to carry the water clear of the conductor-bar, substantially as described. f

r3. The combination of the wooden brackets C and casing A B with the conductor formed of soft-iron bars D and copper strips E, se'- cured thereto, and suitable connections with the motor, substantially as described. 4. The casing A B, the conductor l) E, supported therein, and the traveling conductor H, passing through a slot in the casing, in combination with the brushes F, supported on the pins I in the lower end lof said conductor, and the springs S, by means of which said .brushes are firmly compelled to follow the sinuosities of the road without breaking contact, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the steel plates J J, insulating-plates K K, and traveling conductor-plate H with the brush F and conducting-bar D E, substantially as described.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE Witnesses:

W. H. BANKS, THEO. P. BAILEY.. 

